finally, a minute
by emmagic
Summary: a percabeth one-shot, right after tartarus.


Okay, so it's been forever, I've just been busy with school and stuff, but I have been writing, it's just that none of that's finished, and I don't know if I will finish it. So, basically my whole drive is full of scraps and pieces and I'm trying to get  
at least more than 3 chapter of a story ready before I publish it because otherwise it's just dumb. Also, I was wondering who actually reads this? And am I actually doing something fun here? And then I thought, who cares? So, ugh, here's a little  
something that's definitely finished. Enjoy?

(Rick Riordan owns it all).

* * *

Finally, a minute alone. Sure, they had been understanding enough but the only one who truly understood what they had been through was Nico, but the boy hardly talked.

And he didn't know _exactly_ what they'd gone through.

Annabeth knew. And Percy knew. And that was enough. These two people that were so inexplicably tired. They were so exhausted.

They'd fallen through that damn elevator. Enveloped in each other. Then they'd been hugged and kissed by the others and practically dragged back to this damn boat.

They'd been given dinner, they'd been given nectar and ambrosia and it had tasted better than ever before. And worse than ever before.

They hadn't eaten their actual food, though. In a way that was too grandiose. Too much, too real, too wow. Because they were back and alone and alive. They'd had the others fuss and give them enough blankets and they'd showered and put on some goddamn  
different clothes. They smelled nice and felt clean and they were alone.

And Annabeth wasstaring straight ahead and Percy was staring at her and they were back and alone and sad and tired and glad. So, so, so glad to be back. Because, Gods, they deserved to be back. And they were together and alive.

Percy was staring and looking at Annabeth. He observed the way her back was rigidly straight and he could only think how uncomfortable that must be. He also thought that Annabeth was so pale. Her gray eyes were so intense and brewing. Her golden hair  
was curly and soft (though he hadn't touched it). Her hands were in her lap and she was peeling back the skin around her index finger. The skin was so red and bright and it looked painful. And then, it was bleeding. Thick, rich red flowing down her  
finger and into her palm.

Percy reached over and held her bloody hand.

It felt sticky and not comfortable in the slightest but he held her hand anyway because it was Annabeth and it looked like she needed to be holding hands with someone.

Also, Percy needed to hold someone's hand. He also wanted Annabeth to stop torturing her finger.

At the skin to skin contact Annabeth looked up at the boy who was still looking at her.

Her mind was racing.

This room was dustier then she remembered. Of course it was.

She was cold even though she was wearing Piper's favorite, fuzzy sweater.

Her feet were itchy but she didn't feel like bending over to scratch them. Her hand was sticky with something. Her back was kind of starting to burn from sitting so straight, but she didn't feel like scooting back to the wall, plus, the burning kind of  
felt nice in a weird way.

Tartarus had been so red and dark and black and orange that now, when she looked around this room with the wooden boards and Percy's blue pajamas and hers were so purple. She'd almost forgotten what that looked like. And that was so stupid because how  
long had she been down there?

Also, her hair was still wet from showering, probably staining the sweater. Showering had felt so nice. So fantastic, after all this time.

And now Percy was holding her hand. And when she looked at him he looked so tired. He was so exhausted. His hair was ruffled like always and that was great. Because Percy was so, so great. But his skin was so, so pale and that made her so sad. His eyes  
were so alive though, so vibrant and beautiful.

And it made her want to cry. Which made her mad because she had no right to cry, she had nothing to be sad about. She was back and alive and showered and healthy and sort of fed.

"Thank you," She whispered. Not because Annabeth wanted to whisper but because she couldn't speak any louder.

Percy tried for one arched eyebrow in response.

"For what?" He whispered back, because he wanted to whisper.

"For coming with me to that place, without you I wouldn't have made it Seaweed Brain." She smiled.

He smiled back. What an utterly dreadful thought: no Annabeth.

And then she was crying.

Uncontrollable hard, raw sobs and Percy had no idea what to do because, Gods. This was Annabeth and he would follow her anywhere. Quite literally, everywhere.

His right hand was sticky from holding Annabeth's bloody finger but who gave a shit at this point?

He let go of Annabeth's hand, took hold of her waist instead, pulling her closer. Gods, what an excruciating day. Annabeth crying made Percy want to cry but he withheld. He could cry later. Or never, that seemed like a plausible idea. To never-ever cry.

Annabeth curled into Percy's chest and cried and shook and whimpered a little and that was okay because this boy loved Annabeth so much that he would be okay with anything Annabeth did. He would be okay with everything.

"I'm so sorry. If only I...hadn't been standing...right there then I would never have...fallen, and that damned...spider-woman,"

Gods, this girl.

"Stop talking shit, Annabeth. I'm serious. I would jump for you a thousand more times if you wanted me to. Although I'd probably heavily protest or argue for some other punishment. But you get my point right?" He stroked back her hair behind her ear and  
away from her forehead and he had been right, her hair was so, so soft.

Gods, this girl.

Annabeth got Percy's point, of course. However, she was afraid that now she'd started crying she couldn't ever stop. Everytime she brushed away a tear a new one appeared right in its place. Damn it.

Annabeth was now soaking the better part of Percy's shirt and he didn't care, not at all. Annabeth did, however, so she pulled away from Percy, drying her eyes, and pulling her hair back into world's messiest ponytail, but she just needed the hair away  
from her eyes because everything was clammy. She probably looked horrendous by now.

Percy thought she looked beautiful.

"Sorry 'bout that," She sniffed.

Percy frowned at her, his lower lip puckering slightly, his eyebrows coming together forming a wrinkle in between.

"Don't you dare apologize." He snapped.

"Okay, sure." She said, trying for a smile that turned grimace-y.

"I'm serious. You-and me for that matter-have every right to cry. Forever, if we want to. And if other people judge you, than screw them, because they have no idea what we went through. We weren't supposed to go through that. No one is. So, please, cry  
some more. Cry tomorrow. Cry in five minutes, or three, or fourty." He hadn't a clue where that sudden burst of speech had come from, but as he finished he realized he meant every single word.

Annabeth was taken aback by it, too. Yet, she composed herself within in seconds and leaned into this incredible boy and she kissed his cheek. Then his other.

"Okay," She complied.

Percy was about to inquire after any other words, when Annabeth kissed him. And Percy kind of just froze, because it felt like forever since they had, and this kiss was absolutely perfect because Annabeth was his favorite person in the world. Without  
a doubt.

So he kissed her. And it was soft and sweet and tempting.

And when Annabeth pulled back to smile shyly at Percy he was abashed for reasons beyond him.

"You're cold," He stated after minutes. He rubbed her goose-bumped arm.

"Yeah, a little." She answered even though he hadn't poised it as a question.

Percy got up and pulled the blanket he was sitting on from underneath him and gave it to Annabeth, wrapping it around her shoulders.

Then, they both got up, in mutual agreement, and walked out into the hall, while holding hands, they made their way to the deck.

Stars, everywhere. Bright and small and large and fiery and so far away,

"Should we say hello?" The blonde asked unsurly. She felt tears build up behind her eyes and forced herself to keep them there, even though Percy had said all those things. Annabeth wasn't a crier and she refused to ever be.

Percy nodded and walked to the side of the boat, leaning over and seeing sea. It was a bottomless, black, pool. However it didn't remind him of Tartarus because he felt the water in his skin.

It washed over him in invisible waves, sloshing with his nerves. He felt the salt cling to his skin and he was grateful for that sensation because he felt like he could be here forever.

Underneath the stars, with the sea underneath him and Annabeth by his side. That was the most important thing.

"Yeah, alright." He agreed.

Annabeth came to stand next to him, the blanket like some over-the-top superhero cape. Or a royal cloak.

Her hair was being teased by the wind, her eyelashes thick on her cheeks. Her lips were a little pursed, giving away how upset she was. Even though she tried to hide it so well.

But Percy knew Annabeth so well.

He felt her reach for his hand and he let her take it. Of course. Annabeth could have everything he owned. Annabeth could have everything he was.

Together they looked at the vast nothingness that was their view at the moment, the only things that stood out was the moon and the stars. They were being reflected by the sea, so it was like stars everywhere, underneath, above. Annabeth and Percy felt  
impossible small. Puny, even. The ship creaked comfortingly, keeping them grounded.

"Stars," Annabeth began shakily, quietly. "You're so impossible."

Percy didn't understand this, but he kept listening.

"You're so far away and no one truly understands you and I'm so sorry that you were brought into this universe to burn."

Annabeth laughed in that humourless way. "Because, how sad is that? To be made for one thing? To not be anything else, ever? To have no further purpose? Or chance? How sad." Annabeth fell silent, squeezing Percy's hand.

Gods this girl. He was never letting her go. Never-ever.

"So," She started again, "I'm sorry for your eternal burning, and I'm sorry when you give up, I'm also sorry for Bob. And Damasen." Annabeth's throat felt thick and tight and she didn't want to talk anymore so she stayed silent.

"Bob says hello." Finished Percy for her.

Annabeth was colder out here, and she started shivering, but when Percy asked if she wanted to go inside she refused.

She felt so guilty for Bob and Damasen's sacrifice. It should have been her. This is why she fought monsters, this was why when Thalia had sacrificed herself for her and Grover and Luke that she kept fighting. Because she hated evil. And that might sound  
strange, because everyone hated evil, but Annabeth hated it on a personal, cellular level.

That's why she had been so shaken by Percy when he'd controlled those poisons. Evil wasn't taking Percy. And she didn't want Percy to take evil. Some things aren't meant to be controlled.

"Annabeth."

She looked up at him.

He planted a kiss on her cheek, and then her forehead. She reached up for his lips because darn his careful behaviour, she damn well wanted to kiss her boyfriend.

She wanted the comfort that was Percy and the rhythm that they had and she needed it. She needed Percy.

She needed

needed

wanted

Percy tried to be careful with Annabeth but it was becoming harder because she was doing something with her mouth: kissing him.

And normally they didn't really escalate anything until they were sure no one could interrupt them. And now there was noassurance of that, which was sort exhilarating because Percy didn't think any of his friends had ever seen him and Annabeth make-out  
before. And then there was coach Hedge.

And then Percy stopped being careful and stopped thinking.

The wind picked up and blew Annabeth's ponytail away from her face and Percy's hair into it and than that made her laugh a little because she was this mixture of emotions and she didn't really like being this mixture of emotions.

She was laughing and she had to stop kissing Percy because the want and need became too much and now she was giggling and crying again and gods, hadn't she just come out of Tartarus?

"Annabeth…" Percy pointed at her tears, scared still that maybe she really didn't want him and she'd now realized that.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Gods, I'm so sorry." She said laughing a little.

"Are you-? Am I-?" Percy didn't really know what to say right then.

"Oh! Oh no, Percy I'm good. I'm great. You're great. Gods, Percy, you're so great. I love you so much. You're so incredible." Annabeth put her palm on Percy's cheek and Percy really had to fight the urge to lean into her hand.

He didn't though. He wasn't that far over the edge that he cradled every bit of affection Annabeth gave him.

Who was he kidding? He was miles past that point. He couldn't even see that point anymore.

"Do you wanna stop? Do you wanna go to sleep? We can stop. We can keep going tomorrow." Percy offered although he really hoped she didn't want to stop, he didn't and wouldn't force anything. He would never-ever.

"No, no I want to, honestly, promisely." She wiped away her tears for Gods' sakes.

She reached up towards him and he bent down and they found their rhythm within in moments.

And then it was raining and Percy's hair became matted to his forehead and Annabeth's ponytail was absolutely ruined and how cliche was this? And who cared?

There was lightning somewhere in the distance and Jesus Christ was Zeus really interfering. Now?

Annabeth smiled and that made Percy smile and wow, that tasted amazing.

Gods.

And Percy kind of wanted to open his eyes to look at Annabeth but the rain was heavy and wet and he didn't really want to open his eyes, he just wanted to keep kissing and letting Annabeth kiss him because was there really anything that felt better than  
this? He didn't think so.

He was pretty sure nothing was better than this, at all.

Annabeth's hair was matted to her sweater, and her blanket lay sodden on the floor, and it needed a good washing before she wanted to touch that thing again.

Percy was weaving his fingers into her hair, cradling her scalp and felt really nice and tingly and the rain was really cold, but she'd already been cold but now she wasn't anymore.

Everything was hot. Percy's mouth, her mouth, her skin her lips. Percy's lips.

Everything was cold but they were so hot.

"Annabeth?" Percy whispered into her skin.

"Hmm?"

"Could you do me a favor," Percy said, because it needed to be said, "never, ever leave me, okay?" He pulled away to look into her gray, gray eyes.

What a stupidly, lovable boy, Annabeth thought.

"Of course not."

"No, but I'm serious. Don't just say it 'cause we're here, in this incredible moment, but say it because you mean it." He was being stubborn and childish, but who cared. At this point, who cared?

"Percy," Annabeth said. And Percy was crying. And what on earth? Because Percy never cried, Annabeth had never really seen Percy cry, and now that she had she wanted him to stop, because Percy was her rock.

And if her rock broke who was to say she wouldn't?

"Percy," Annabeth soothed, "What's happening? I'm not going anywhere. The thought is impossible. Unattainable." She kissed his cheek, because what else could she do?

Percy didn't know what'd happened but he was crying and it felt kind of good and he knew Annabeth wouldn't really judge him for it, yet, he wanted to stop crying because he couldn't stop thinking that this was very unmanly like.

He just couldn't stop seeing Annabeth, falling alongside him, Annabeth blind and deaf not knowing where he was. Annabeth a walking corpse.

"Percy, I'm not dead, I'm right here, and you're not dead either, and we still have to live a little, okay?" As if she'd plucked the thought right out of his head.

"M'okay." Percy wiped his eyes because he needed to.

Annabeth held his hand, and they walked away, down to Annabeth's room because there was still a blanket on that bed.


End file.
